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Appealing to the top chefs in the capital of cuisine. ARITA meets the challenge of SIRHA 2015.

The eight elite companies selected by the Professional Use Project “educe” exhibited at the “SIRHA 2015 – SIRHA the International Trade Fair for Hotel, Catering, Gastronomy and Food Trade” which was held in Lyons, France. We were able to have the valuable experience of directly talking to the world’s top chefs, to see and hear their reactions and to listen to their requirements for tableware which gave us plenty to think about. This is a report about the situation at the exhibition venue.

February 16, 2015

Written By Takaharu Hamano

Top caliber members of Arita Porcelain take up the challenge of the world stage

SIRHA 2015 - SIRHA the International Trade Fair for Hotel, Catering, Gastronomy and Food Trade was held in the capital of cuisine, Lyons, France for five days from 24th to 28th January. The name of ARITA was prominently displayed at the venue. As the name suggests, this trade fair, held biennially in late January, is directed towards the catering industry, such as hotels and restaurants, and is an exhibition that offers consulting and introductions to all kinds of items related to the food service industry, ranging from cooking utensils, tableware and interior fixtures to ingredients. The EUREXPO venue boasts an exhibition space of 120,000㎡ and is about 1.5 times the size of Tokyo Big Sight. Rows of booths from all over the world looking for business chances completely fill this vast exhibition space and specialists in the restaurant industry, including chefs, are invited to attend. As part of the 400th anniversary of its business, ARITA also exhibited in a booth of around 50㎡ under the title "ARITA LA PORCELAINE DU JAPON." Business specialists who participated were from an elite group of 8 companies specially selected by the Professional Use Project - NEW ARITA 400 "educe" Project. Products were displayed under 8 themes, such as ZEN, PLANET or KABUKI-MONO.

The appeal of ARITA attracting the interest of the Grand Chefs

Since the contest for the World's Top Chefs "Bocuse D'Or" was held at SIRHA 2015 and as there were many other culinary demonstrations taking place there, the ARITA booth was also visited by a constant flow of chefs. The first Japanese restaurant owner and chef to be awarded one star in Paris, Hiroyuki Hiramatsu, has a deep knowledge about ARITA Porcelain and actually owns a collection of Iro-Nabeshima (Colored Nabeshima ware) 12inch plates himself. When he saw the ARITA exhibition he felt a strong sense of support for the company. The restaurant owner and chef Jean-Georges Klein of the Michelin three-star restaurant "Lance Burg" in Alsace, France, repeatedly asked questions about the new texture of the dishes made by applying the technique of sandblasting to the surface, and stayed at the booth for about an hour. Many kinds of new and unfamiliar tableware attracted the interest of the great Grand Chefs.

Hiroki Yoshitake, the chef of the one star "sola" restaurant, who had won the prize for the best cook (Grand Prix) at last year's RED U-35 (RYORININ's EMERGING DREAM), rushed to the venue by TGV in the early morning and the chef of the Hoshino Resorts Karuizawa Hotel Bleston Court Restaurant, Noriyuki Hamada, who had won the bronze medal at the previous Bocuse d'Or in 2013, was seen having a discussion with the business operators and producers of ARITA porcelain whilst holding an ARITA bowl in his hands. Also, Yoshihisa Akiyama, the chef of the popular Japanese restaurant in Ginza "Mutsukari" rushed from Japan during his extremely tight schedule and demonstrated his knowledge of kitchen knives at the ARITA booth. Visitors were stopped in their tracks by the beautifully and delicately arranged dishes on display. As food decorates dishes like art on canvas, the white plates were highly popular with the Western chefs, but looking at the food displayed by the chef Yoshihisa Akiyama many of them said, "I felt the wide diversity of foods through the delicate colors of ARITA." A lot of people voiced their support and encouragement as well and the appeal of ARITA is being conveyed to the whole world.

Triumphant return from Lyons reported in Tokyo

With all of the sales negotiations, requests for estimates and consultations about the development of order-made tableware by owners of restaurants, there were so many enquiries that there were not enough sales contact sheets...leading to excited exclamations of joy. By responding in a detailed and dependable way after returning home, business ties are formed and closer connections to all of the people in the industry are forged; we could beam with happiness at the venue and really feel the potential for our monozukuri (art of manufacturing). The project team in the ARITA Professional Use Project "educe" are planning to exhibit at the "43rd International Hotel and Restaurant Show" to be held at Tokyo Big Sight from 17th February to 20th February. On 18th February there will be a trend seminar in which the business exhibitors at SIRHA 2015 themselves will give a triumphant report about the exhibition. Please come to the venue and take a look at ARITA, with its aim of creating "tableware sought by the worlds' top chefs."